Carla Wilson

Piccolo/Flute

At this moment …

We would find Carla preparing for a classroom presentation at one of the grade schools in Portland Public Schools. Outside of the orchestra, Carla is an advocate for music education and works as a teaching artist partnering with classroom teachers to bring music to their students. She is in her first year as an artist on the roster for Young Audiences of Oregon and SW Washington.

In the CD player …

We would find a selection of Beatles, Beach Boys and Roy Orbison that her husband, Jerry, enjoys. Then, a collection of recordings with Michala Petri for Carla. “Michala is an amazing musician, and I enjoy studying her playing for interpretations of the Bach and Handel Sonatas and the many Vivaldi compositions which are standard repertoire for flute and piccolo.”

In the kitchen …

Carla would be adjusting meals according to the number of family members home on any particular day. “We’re not quite empty nesters with children 25, 23 and 20, so it’s a challenge to adapt recipes for the number of place settings for the day. What to serve varies from family favorites to something new and different depending on who is home for dinner.”

On the music stand …

“I always have the standard warm-ups along with music for the next Symphony concerts.  For fun I have Doing Time by Mike Mower, a collection of exercises with a jazz and swing feel that comes with a CD so you can play along with the band.  I am also challenging myself to develop my transposition skills with a book by Peter Lucas-Graf called The Singing Flute.”

On the night stand …

“Children's books that I’m looking at to use in my classroom presentations, Ageless by Suzanne Somers and Moving On by Sarah Ban Breathnach.”

Before you left …

Carla would show you pictures of her family and also paintings and etchings done by her mother-in-law Charlene Robinson, a local artist.